Saturday Night Live decided subtlety was overrated for itsSeason 51 finale. Instead, the show opened with Will Ferrell dressed as the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein floating through the Oval Office and roasting Donald Trump in full Dickens-meets-fever-dream fashion.
It was weird. It was messy. It was exactly the kind of unhinged energy SNL fans had been missing.
Ferrell appeared in chains and a prison uniform opposite James Austin Johnson's increasingly exhausted Trump impression. When Trump casually asked his 'old friend' how heaven was going, Ferrell's Epstein shot back: 'It's really, really hot.' Before settling to, 'But you know me, I keep busy. Mahjong every Wednesday with Stalin and John Wayne Gacy.'
The line landed instantly, setting the tone for a cold open that only got stranger from there.
Rather than another straightforward Trump sketch, SNL leaned fully into chaos. Ferrell's Epstein became a ghostly tour guide showing Trump bizarre visions of his political allies' futures, with each reveal more ridiculous than the last.
Kristi Noem, played by Ashley Padilla, popped up selling cleaning products on a low-budget shopping channel. 'My fellow Americans, I know exactly what we need to transform this country.'
James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump responded, 'Oh good, she's back in politics.' But Ferrels replied, 'Not exactly.'
Padilla's Noem suddenly introduced the 'Shark Wand Vacuum Cleaner.' 'And for only $129.99, it's the best way to clean up that mess your dog made besides a gun. And it can even handle balloon scraps left over from when your husband's giant balloon breasts pop.'
Pete Hegseth, portrayed byColin Jost, transformed into a hyperactive podcast bro pouring alcohol into a giant beer bong.
'Well, that's the left of it...' Jost said, to which Johnson replied, Wow! He gave up drinking.'
Source: International Business Times UK
